Hello, New York!

Several years of yapping, two days of driving and one Ohio speeding ticket later, I am in New York to stay. What did I just say? A New Yorker. Me, a New Yorker.

WOW

I have not fully realized what it means yet, but from now on, when asked “Where do you live?”, I will say “New York”, and smile.

But Goddammit, I am still lonely. What do I do with it? I seem to take it with me everywhere I go. So boring, this loneliness thing.

Predictably, I find my way to the chosen hummus place in the Village, again, and here I am, sipping flavored tea and typing away. And thinking “what’s next”.

Next is cleaning and unpacking. But I don’t want to think about it just yet.

I moved into a huge thee bedroom apartment in the Bronx. It’s loud and colorful, and nobody speaks English outside my door.

The good thing about it is, I can play as loud as I want. The bad thing about it is, my neighbor is a drunk who likes to lecture me on fashion as he invites himself over and makes himself at home (in his dirty ass pants).

My neighbor Tommy is from a different planet. He starts drinking early in the morning and he does not stop. My landlord paid him to clean the apartment and greet me in, but instead, he just hung out there, sleeping in the bed, drinking beer, and watching TV. Something a naughty dog would do when the owner is out of town, except a dog wouldn’t care for TV or beer…

When I first walked in and looked around, I saw piles of crap, unfinished drinks and stashes of old food in the fridge. I freaked out.

Then Tommy showed me my parking spot. I freaked out.

My inner child screamed “This ain’t no parking spot where I come from!” – a space tucked in a wall that you have to back into through a narrow gate – but it was. One hundred and fifty dollars a month. But I still love New York.

I do, I do, I do, with all my heart. It’s a beautiful city, my love. Why didn’t I do it earlier? I don’t know…